The damage caused by ocean oil spills is well known. Oil spills can have a devastating effect on ecological systems and a long lasting impact on the environment. Great effort has been spent on developing effective cleanup methods and devices for oil spills.
One approach is to contain the oil using a barrier, such as nets, booms, and tents. See for example: U.S. Pat. No. 8,025,460, US20110253642, US20110293373, US20110293376, US20110297621, US20110299931, US20110309006, US20110311310, WO2011139650, WO2011152836, and WO2011163383. However, even if the oil is effectively contained, it must still be removed from the water.
One known method for removing surface oil from water is by using a special vessel called a “skimmer,” which is specifically designed to collect and separate oil from the surface of water. Examples of skimmers include: U.S. Pat. No. 8,048,300, US20110297608, US20110303613, US20110303616, US20110309031, WO2011150043, and WO2011158773. While skimmers are useful in some aspects, various disadvantages remain. First, many skimmers do not operate well in choppy water. Second, some skimmers do not collect oil if the oil is too thin. Third, skimmers require significant energy and human-time since the vessel must be constantly driven or towed through the water in order to collect oil. Fourth, skimmers are expensive, limited in number, and difficult to transport to a cleanup site.
Another known approach to removing oil from water is to place oil-absorbent materials in the contaminated water. See, for example, US20110284450, US20110287929, US20110293373, WO2011139475, WO2011146656, WO2011150504, and WO2011159968. While absorbent materials have some useful aspects, this method does not provide a way to recover the oil for use. Rather, the sorbent materials are thrown away in a landfill, creating additional harm to the environment. Moreover, some absorbent pads break down if left in water too long.
Yet another approach is to draw contaminated water into a floating container using a suction mechanism and allow the oil to separate from the water due to their differences in specific gravity. GB2480858 to Peck, for example, describes a floating collection device that has an engine and a suction mechanism. The suction mechanism brings water and oil into the separator, and the oil is allowed to rise to the top of the container while the water drops down and out the open bottom of the container. Similarly, US20110266200 to Day describes a floating container that includes a motor and a fan. The fan draws water into the container so that oil can be removed. While these approaches advantageously allow for passive (i.e., minimal human involvement) collection and separation of oil, they require a significant amount of energy to run the motors/engines for the suction mechanisms. Furthermore, the suction systems can clog and breakdown from debris.
These and all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
It has yet to be appreciated that oil can be contained in one area and separated from water using a passive and low-energy approach. Thus, there is still a need for improved methods and devices for containing and removing oil from the surface of water.